IDF Combat Veterans Demand Priority Over Torah Study in Israeli Basic Law Debate

Itzik Saidian, a post-trauma survivor and chairman of the "At Eye Level" association, strongly criticized the proposed Basic Law on Torah Study during a Knesset discussion on Sunday. Saidian called for prioritizing Israeli Defense Forces combat veterans, emphasizing their sacrifices on the front lines. "With all due respect to the value of Torah and military service, the amendment that must be made is to give supreme value to those who went into battle and were willing to die," he said.

Saidian highlighted that only about 10% of the population actually engage in combat, facing the loss of comrades and collecting bodies, bearing real frontline sacrifices. He stressed that these combatants, many of whom suffer physical and mental injuries, often feel forgotten by the state after their service.

The Basic Law on Torah Study is part of coalition efforts to enshrine Torah study as a fundamental value in Israel, balancing it against the principle of equality in future legislation, including laws related to yeshiva students' military conscription. The original bill included a clause equating the status of Torah scholars with IDF servicemen, but this was removed following public criticism. The updated text states that Israel, as a Jewish state, places supreme importance on encouraging Torah study and views long-term Torah students as making a significant contribution to the state and Jewish people.